When we want to get pregnant, one of the questions we usually ask ourselves is What are my fertile days, in order for conception to occur when we have sex.
While it is not good to become obsessed with the fertility calendar, and it is also not guaranteed that on our fertile days we will become pregnant, we can find out which are the most appropriate days to try.
To know what are the fertile days of women We can look at the calendar or determine the physical symptoms that accompany ovulation.
The fertility calendar of women
The fertile days they are those in which the woman is ovulating, that is, when the ovary releases an egg or mature egg that descends through the fallopian tubes. This usually happens about 14 or 15 days before the period. During ovulation, which can last two or three days, the egg waits to be fertilized by a sperm.
If fertilization does not occur during the period of time in which the ovule is arranged, the woman's body realizes that there is no pregnancy, and is preparing to remove the ovum with the following menstruation. The next day the cycle starts again.
Women's cycles usually cover 28 or 30 days, so they will be the central days of the cycle the most favorable to get pregnant: 14 or 15 days after the first day of menstruation.
If we have frequent sexual intercourse from day 13 for about five days, we favor fertilization, although this does not only depend on the ovum being mature and prepared, since there are other factors that can influence the pregnancy to be achieved. In addition, not all women's cycles are so regular and correct the days in which the ovum is mature, as we will see below.
On the other hand, keep in mind that sperm remain alive approximately 48-72 hours inside the woman's body, so there is also the possibility of getting pregnant if we have sex before the ovum has been lowered.
When the fertility calendar does not work
The fertility cycle works like an internal clock within each woman, although some have it "out of adjustment", as is the case with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which produces irregular periods and ovulations. Anyway, although there are seasons in which it does not ovulate, there are times when it is fertile: the menstruation due to ovulation comes sooner or later, so pregnancy is possible and habitual.
In addition, even if we do not have PCOS for a specific month or months, we may suffer an irregularity in our cycle It can be due to multiple reasons (stress, near menopause, change of diet, disease ...). So, we may have been without ovulating for more than a month, and the accounts we have talked about previously do not work, not because fertilization does not occur but because the mature ovum is not ready.
On the other hand, let's keep in mind that although the most frequent regular cycles are usually 28 to 30 days, there are also women in whom the cycle can last up to 24 or 35 days, it depends on each organism.
Physical signs of fertile days: basal temperature
Basal temperature is body temperature when we wake up. If we take this temperature and write it down throughout the cycle we will notice the oscillations that can indicate that we are in our fertile days. It is a fairly reliable method that requires consistency and accuracy.
It consists of taking the temperature every morning just raised. The method does not predict ovulation but indicates that ovulation has already occurred. It is advisable to start taking the temperature on the first day of menstruation and record every day. Before ovulation, the basal temperature usually ranges between 36.5ºC and 36.7ºC.
As a consequence of concrete hormonal changes (which produce an increase in progesterone levels), said temperature usually increases between 0.3ºC and 0.5ºC in the 2 or 3 days after ovulation. The increase is maintained until the end of the cycle, when the next menstrual period begins.
It is important to take note of the oscillations in the basal temperature for a few months, to detect possible irregularities in the cycle and establish our calendar. If the measurements are similar in those months, we know that having sex from the days before the temperature change will be more likely to get pregnant, since we are supposed to have ovulated.
In any case, we must point out that this method is not reliable, for example if the temperature is taken at different times of the day, if the woman has a fever, if she is sick ... In addition there are women who do not experience increases in basal temperature when ovulating. And if the temperature rises but only after the third day of ovulation it may be too late for fertilization.
Therefore, if we follow this method, the relationships must be started a few days before the temperature increase, since the ovule may already be ready even if the temperature change does not indicate it.
Other signs of ovulation: vaginal discharge
About half of our cycle there are changes in the texture of the flow due to the action of estrogens. During ovulation cervical mucus occurs that we will notice as an increase in flow. This flow helps sperm to swim to the egg. On days when the woman is not fertile, the cervical mucus is whitish or yellowish, little abundant and rather sticky texture.
In the 2 or 3 days before ovulation, the flow increases in quantity, becomes transparent and takes a filamentous texture, similar to that of egg white). The most fertile period begins on the last day we detect that type of cervical mucus (similar to egg white). Usually, this happens on the eve of ovulation or on the same day of ovulation. Gradually the mucus becomes more and more sticky and dry, when the ovulation concludes.
Hopefully this review of the ovulation process and its symptoms will help you know what fertile days are you most likely to get pregnant. The illusion of getting pregnant well deserves that we stop in these aspects and know how to recognize when there are optimal times to try.
